Dispensing-machine.



V. ROSS.

DISPENSING, MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILEDYSEPT. 7. 1915.

Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

v. Ross.

DISPENSING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT-L I9I5.

1,218,958. Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

V. ROSS.

DISPENSING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-7. 1915.

1 218 958. Patented Mar. 13, 1917. 9 3 SIIEETSSH'EET '3.

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. attenunnrrnn sra'rns ranivr union VERNON ROSS, OF KANSAS CITY,IVIISSOURI;

DISPENSING-MACHINE.

misses.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

Application filed September 7, 1915. Serial No. 49,200.

This invention relates to dispensing ma-' chines of that class for usein the rooms of hotels and other semi-public and public buildings, andthe object of the invention is to produce a machine which will operateefficiently and cannot be readily defrauded or get out of order. Afurther object is to produce a machine which can be easily and quicklycharged with articles to be dispensed and which, ata glance, will showwhether all or any of its compartments require re plenishlng.

' vendin com artment or c linder in the plane of the section being shownin full lines.

Fig. 2, is a fragmentary front view, partly broken away, and showing oneof the series of compartments or-cylinders in open position. V

Fig. 3, is an enlarged horizontal section on the line III-III of Fig. 1,a certain part or shelf being broken away to disclose underlyingfeatures.

Fig. 4, is a fragmentary plan view, part of the casing being shown insection on the line IVIV of Fig. 1 and certain parts being omitted tomore clearly disclose the po sition and arrangement of certain features.

Fig. 5, is a fragmentary vertical section in the plane of the section ofFig. 1, but showing certain parts in a difierent position from thatwhich they occupy in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6, is a vertical section of-the lower part of one of thedispensingcompartments or cylinders.

Fig. 7, is a vertical section taken through the upper end of one of thedispensing coinpartments or cylinders and abearing bracket for the upperend of the same.

Fig. 8, is a detail section to show the connection between the shaftactuating spring and a bearing for said shaft.

Referring to the drawings in detail 1 is a wall plate provided with amarginal forwardlyprojecting head 2.

3' is a face or cover plate which corresponds in contour to but issmaller'than'the wall plate, the face plate being open at its rear sideand adapted to be fitted against the wall plate and the inner edges ofthe bead 2, the wall plate thus forming a closure for the open side ofthe face plate. The face plate A is provided with an opening t whichextends from one end of the plate to the other and from a point near thetop of the plate to a point somewhat below the horizontal center of theplate and through this opening access is had for the purpose'of chargingthe machine with the articles to be dispensed or for removing sucharticles. The means for fastening the face or cover plate in positionwill be hereinafter described.

Arranged horizontally and fitted against the wall plate near the lowermarginthereof is a channel bar, the same comprising avertically-disposed body 5 and forwardly projecting upper and lowershelves 6 and 7 respectively, the shelf 7 being narrowerthan shelf 6 andterminating in an upturned flange 8 so that said shelf 7 shallconstitute a receptacle for keys or coins employed to unlock thedispensingcompartments or cylinders hereinafter described.

9 are screws or bolts extending through the body 5 of the channel barand through the wall plate into a ,wall or equivalent support, for thepurpose of securing the machine in position. Located in the upper partof the casing constituted by the wall and face plate, is a series ofangle brackets 10, and extending through the same and the wall plate andinto the wall or its equivalent, are screws or bolts 11, these screws orbolts cooperating with screws or bolts 9 in securing the machine at thedesired point.

A series of dispensing compartments or cylinders 12 are arranged betweenthe shelf 6 and the brackets 10, the compartments or Each compartment orcylinder is provided with an opening 13 through which theloading orunloadmg'of the cylinder is effected when the same is in open position,as

- catch for looking it in closed position, that is with its opening 13facing rearward so as to be inaccessible through the opening of the faceplate of the casing. in the preferred construction of the catchmechanism, a short barrel 18 is secured in the chamber 14 of eachcylinder, and the catch proper 19 fits vertically in the barrel andnormally projects beyond the lower end of the same,

being preferably rounded at its lower end. Secured onthe catch is acollar 20 to limit its projection from the barrel and afford a shoulderagainst which the catch projecting spring 21 bears, said spring fittingaround the catch and hearing at its opposite end against a fixed part ofthe cylinder. Normally the spring holds the catch projecting into alocking opening 22 formed in the shelf 6, and intersecting and narrowerthan said opening is a slot 23in the shelf. When the catch of a cylinderis repressed to unlocked position as shown in Fig. 5, the spring 17immediately revolves the cylinder in the direction indicated by thearrow, Fig. 4, from the closed position to open position, that is untilpin 24 projecting outward from the lower end of the cylinder strikes andis arrested by a stop pin 25 projecting upward from the shelf, asindicated in connection with one of the cylinders shown in Fig. 4, whichcylinder as shown by the corresponding one in Fig. 2, presents itsopening 13 to the front.

For each cylinder there is provided a slotted plate 26 through which acoin of proper denomination or its equivalent, such as a key is insertedas a medium through which a particular cylinder shall be unlocked. Theplates 26 fit against the outer face of the face plate or cover and areprovided with short downwardly and rearwardly extending coin tubes 27extending through suitable openings in the face plate, the rear ends orextremities of the coin tubes being preferably concaved as shown inFigs. 1 and 5. Each slotted plate 26 is also formed with a rearwardlyprojecting lug 28 above the tube, and a wedge key or the like 29 ex- Itends through the lug to prevent unauthorized withdrawal of the tube.

30 indicates the face plate of a suitable lock, the body 31 of whichstands within the casing, and is accessible for operation through a keyhole 32, and in this connection it will be noted by reference to Fi 2,that plate 30 is provided with a pair of the coin or key openings likethose of plate 26, and that said openings communicate with coin tubes 27preferably cast integral with plate 30, each of the tubes beingassociated with one of the rotatable compartments or cylinders 12. Thelockis provided with a bolt 33 for upward and downward movement, and theshelf 6 is provided with an opening 34 for the reception of said boltwhen the same is in locked position, it being noticed in this connectionthat when said bolt is withdrawn from engagement with opening 34, theentire cover or face plate, including the lock and the coin tubes, isfree to be removed from engagement with the wall plate.

35 is a shaft extending through the casing under shelf 6, and providedat one end eX- terior to the casing with a handle or head 36 whereby itmay be operated. At suitable points the shaft is journaled in bearingbrackets 37 rigidly secured in any suitable V manner to the channel bar5. Arranged in the same vertical planes as the coin tubes 27 and thecatches 19, and rigidly secured on shaft 35 in any suitable manner arecoin or key receiving arms 38, the same peripherally forming the arc ofa circle and conforming approximately tothe concave inner end of theadjacent tube 27. Each arm 38 is provided with a hub 39 and a pocket 40,the bottom of the pocket merging into the periphery of the hub, and saidpocket is just wide enough to receive a circularv coin or key 41, thediameter of this coin or key being such that it projects slightly beyondthe periphery of the arm, that is to say projects sufficiently toeffectthe repression of the adjacent catch 19 into its barrel 18, p

when the shaft 35 is operated.

The arms 38 normally occupy the positions shown in Fig. 1, so that thecoin or key introduced into the desired tube 27 will drop into thepocket 40 of such arm. To hold the arms in such position and toautomatically return them to such position after each operation of theshaft, I employ one or more springs 42, the same being coiled around theshaft and secured at the opposite ends to the shaft and adjacent bearingbracket 37. The hubs of the arms 38 are preferably reduced. as shown, toprovide shoulders 43 to strike against the flange 8 of the channel barwhen the shaft is turned back by the spring, and shoulders 44 to strikethe opposite side of said flange 8 to limit the reverse operation of theshaft, that is the operation imparted to it manually through theinstrumentality ofthe handle or head 36, it being noted in thisconnection that incidental to this arrest of the shaft through thestriking of the shoulders at of the arms against said flange will be thepositive pro ection of the coin or key from the pocket of one of saidarms into the tray formed by the lower channel bar arm or shelf 7 andthe flange 8 thereof, it being understood that this projection of thecoin or key ccurs after the same has effected the repression of theassociated catch 1:), as re-. ferred to more specifically hereinafter.

To guard against the accidental insertion of a coin or key into themachine while the arms 38 are performing their unlocking operatioinasubstantially V-shaped guard 45 is arranged below each tube 27, and ispivoted thereto at 46, the free end of the guard being provided with acurved extension a7 which fits flatly against the periphery of thecompanion arm 38 when the same is in normal position as shown in Fig. 1,and

against the lower edge of said arm when the same is in operation toefiect the unlocking of the overlying cylinder or is being turned tonormal position, it being understood that a suitable spring shown as atorsional spring as, is mounted on the pivot pin of each of said guardsand bears at its opposite ends against a fixed point of the adjacenttube 27 and against said guard for the purpose of raising the same tothe position shown by full lines Fig. 5 when not opposed by the springor springs With he guards thus raised it will be apparent that theaccidental insertion of a coin or key cannot result in its loss or inthe chokage of the machine as the guard will hold it back until thespring or springs have returned the shaft to normal position. As thisoccurs the coin or key will drop into the pocket, it being apparent thatin the return of the arm to normal position the guards will be swungforward to inoperative position as shown in Fig. 1. It will also benoticed by reference to the last-named figure that there is no danger ofa wedging action occurring between the arms and the guards which wouldinterfere with the proper operation of the former by manual manipulationof the handle or head 36, because the curved extensions 47 guard againstthis contingency.

Assuming a proper coin or key is inserted through one of the slottedplates and drops into the registering pocket, the operator through theinstrumentality of the handle or head 36 turns shaft 35 in the directionindicated b the arrow, Fig. 1. In this movement the coin or key iscaused to enter and travel rearwardly through the slot 23 in thevertical plane of the pocket containing the coin, and in such passageengages and represses or raises the catch of the overlying cylinder, asindicated in Fig. 5. Before the travel of the coin or key in said slotis completed, the spring 17 of said cylinder rotates the latter a halfrevolution, this opening operation of the cylinder immediately follow:ing the complete repression or unlocking of the catch. or key preferablypasses rearwardly of the vertical plane of the axis of shaft 35 and isinstantly thereafter ejected from the pocket, the pressure of the catchand the sudden stoppage of the arm due to the striking of the shouldersagainstflange 8, contributing to make this action positive and quick.

The instant the cylinder turns to open position as explained, theoperator relaxes the pressure on the handle or head 36, nd the spring orsprings 42, return the shaft to initial or normal position. Allsubsequent operations are repetitions of those described.

A suitable key may be used to turn the cylinders back to closedposition, the key being inserted through the'proper opening 49 in thetop of the casing and interlocked with the upper end of the trunnion 16of the underlying cylinder.

As a precaution against robbery of the machines by persons havingauthorized access to the rooms containing the machines, it is preferableto make at least one side of the slot of each plate 26 of toothed orirregular form as shown at 50 so that a special key or grooved coin orslug will be necessary, these keys or coins being supplied to the guestby the clerk of the hotel who will make a charge for those which havebeen used.

From the above description it will be apparent that Ihave produced adispensing machine embodying the features of advantage enumerated asdesirable, and while I have illustrated and described the preferredembodiment of the invention it is to be understood that I reserve theright to make such changes in the form, proportion, detail constructionand arrangement of the parts as properly fall within the spirit andscope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a dispensing machine, a casing, a

. shelf therein provided with an opening and a slot intersecting theopening, a bearing bracket above the shelf, a compartment standingvertically between and journaled in the shelf and bearing bracket, aspring actuated latch holding the compartment against rotation byengaging the opening in the shelf, an arm provided with an open pocketfor receiving and holding a coin so that the same shall project from thepocket, means to turn the arm to cause the projecting portion of thecoin to swing through the slot and opening of the pocket to a pointbeyond the vertical plane of the axis of said arm to successively effectthe tripping of the catch and the discharge of the coin from the At thesame moment the coin pocket, and means to-turn the compartment theinstant the catch tripping operation is completed.

2. In a dispensing machine, a casing, a compartment provided with anopening, within the casing, means for automatically moving the casing todispose its opening in position where it is accessible, means fornormally holding the compartment with its opening inaccessible, a rockshaft journaled in the casing, an arm secured to the rock shaft andprovided with a pocket for holding the coin, a coin tube for guiding acoin into said pocket, a handle for turning the shaft and arm to causethe coin to trip the compartmcnt holding means and then effect thedischarge of the coin from the pocket, and means to turn the shaft andarm to normal position after the discharge of the coin. 8. In adispensing machine, a wall plate, a shelf secured thereto, bracketssecured to the wall plate above the shelf, a series of verticalcylinders between and bearing a journaled relation to said shelf andbrackets and provided with openings, a face or cover plate fittingagainst the wall plate and inclosing the parts carried thereby andprovided with an opening, means for locking the face or cover plate tosaid shelf, means for locking each cylinder with its openinginaccessible through the opening of the face or cover plate,coin-controlled means for tripping the cylinder locking means, and meansengaging each cylinder for turning the same when its locking means istripped, until its opening is accessible through the opening of the faceor cover plate.

l. In a dispensing machine, a casing, su-

perposed bearings therein, the lower one having a locking opening, avertical cylinder journaled in the bearings and novided with an opening,a vertically movable catch carried by the cylinder, a spring exertingpressure on the catch to hold the same in engagement with said lockingopening, means to efiect repression of the catch from said opening, anda spring to rotate the cylinder about a half revolution the instant thecomplete repression of the catch-is effected.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in the presence of awitness.

VERNON ROSS. Witness:

G. Y. THORPE.

Copies of this patent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

1 Washington, I). C.

